How come Schumacher was chosen to direct the next film?

[thecolorsblend]

The thing is, that scene was supposed to enable Batman to recover from his repressed memories once and for all before he could go after Riddler and Two-Face. Without it, the transition between surviving the gunshot wound to the head and suit up to travel to Claw Island feels very jarring.

I've never seen how. If you can buy that someone can survive getting shot (or grazed) in the head with a gun, I don't think his recovery is a much bigger bridge to cross. In fact, that's hardly the biggest leap of faith Batman Forever as a film asks the viewer to make. If you can believe Batman can dangle off a helicopter without his arms getting wrenched out of his shoulders, surviving a gunshot wound like that should be a snap.

Besides it transforms Bruce's character arc. Instead of the viewer seeing Bruce resolve his conflict in that deleted scene, the viewer is left to infer that the combination of his therapy sessions with Chase combined with Chase getting kidnapped and Dick becoming Robin are what galvanize his psychological recovery. So his new found mental stability is a reveal for the audience rather than part of the journey they take along with the character.

I'd say that works well enough to get the job done.

[Edd Grayson]

Fair enough, both of you bring good points.  I wish Two-Face's escape from Arkham Asylum was still in the film. Not that I love Tommy Lee Jones in the role, but he had potential.